Well, I have been having a go at this project! Removing the old metalastic bushes required the acquisition of a 12 ton hydraulic press. Using a 23mm bearing press, and a suitable socket, the metalastic bushes in one arm were removed. The first time the bush popped, I thought my socket had cracked! Once the bushes were most of the way out, I used another socket to press them into a hole through a bit of 4*2 wood.
Worked well. Despite over 6000 miles on them, but bushes didn’t look too bad. I hoped they would be shredded!
New bushes installed with PTFE silicone white grease using my bench vice and a couple of sockets. It was a bit fiddly to get the sleeve and the bush centred correctly.
As noted earlier in the thread, the chassis end shear arms can be bent out slightly to ease installation that end. Interestingly, but bots at that end wouldn’t just pull out. They needed to be screwed out. I suspect the holes are not perfectly aligned.
An unfitted bush with crush tube and thrust washers fits fine in the rear axle mountings. But, when the bush is pressed into the trailing arm, I suspect the slightly fatter width of the length-modified Powerflex 116 causes the poly bush to squeeze slighly. The bush will fit without the thrust washes, but not with. I am unsure at to whether I should use a strategically-placed nut and bolt inside the bracket to wind it out slightly to allow the bush to fit, or whether this will ruin the axle brackets. Advice welcome in this respect, please!
I was hoping to install the bushes now, and then, over the winter, to remove the trailing arms for a repaint. It’s a pain doing these one at a time, but removing all of the trailing arms causes the diff to move around, even with the shockers still attached. Removing the whole axle assemble over the Winter is on my slop chit, as I want to fit new, sealed bearings, and check to see if I need a speedy sleeve installing on one side. Bit of diff oil leaking into the drum.
What was meant to be a quick job has turned out to take much longer, and has thrown up a couple of problems to solve, but the first arm off sets the learning curve. Now I have identified which sockets bearing press to use, the process should be a lot simpler. I have new bolts from WF, and new washers and nylocs. BTW, order the bolts over the phone. The postage charges the system calclulates are excessive!! £6 vs £19!
Back to it later this morning. Yes, it is 0310. I am jet-lagged!